England recovered from a slow start on the ball to cut the West Indies to 127-4, only for half-century resistance from Jason Holder and Nkrumah Bonner to take the hosts to 202-4 and cut the deficit to 109 runs. ; Chris Woakes expensive after England pass 300 in a Test for the first time in 13 attempts
The West Indies trail England by 109 runs after the second day of the first Test in Antigua
The West Indies’ Jason Holder and Nkrumah Bonner dug in to frustrate England on the second day of the first Test after Joe Root’s side followed up a wayward start on the ball with a quick four-wicket flurry.
Loose bowling, particularly from Chris Woakes (1-54), who was handed the new ball in the controversial absences of James Anderson and Stuart Broad from this tour, saw the West Indies run to 83-0 within 20 overs. in reply to Jonny Bairstow from England. -inspired 311 all in Antigua.
The hosts subsequently fell to 127-4 with Woakes taking a confidence-boosting wicket after sewing partners Mark Wood, Ben Stokes and Craig Overton also struck on a day of brief rain.
However, Holder (43rd from 104 balls) and Bonner (34th from 103) worked their way to unbroken position in the 190-ball 75th wicket as the West Indies closed at 202-4 to fall behind 109 and leave the game. balanced.
Bonner and Holder overcame a tricky reverse-swing spell from Wood (1-24), Stokes (1-20) and Overton (1-58), as well as some probing deliveries from left arm Jack Leach (0-29), who he launched seven successive maidens on an unresponsive surface at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
England, led by Bairstow’s 140 in 259 deliveries, had surpassed 300 for the first time in 13 Test innings; it was his best total since he batted 432 in an innings win over India at Headingley in August, but they added just 43 runs to his overnight 268-6.
The West Indies collected 44 runs from their 10 overs before lunch with the omissions of Anderson and Broad, England’s two highest Test wicket winners of all time with a combined 1,177 scalps, deeply felt by the tourists when Woakes leaked runs.
The 33-year-old’s opening three-overs spell turned into a staggering 23 runs as his tribulations away from home continued: Woakes’ home bowling average of 22.63 is better than Broad (25.78) and Anderson (24.20), but his average away from home is more than 50.
Woakes’ inability to find a consistent line and length emboldened West Indies starters Kraigg Brathwaite (55 of 70) and John Campbell (35 of 63), with Brathwaite running the fastest of his 24 Test fifty, of 62 balls.
Woakes’ difficult day was made better by the tea knock when he caught Jermaine Blackwood (11) in a ravine after a successful overhaul – that dismissal ensured the West Indies had lost four wickets for 44 runs in less than 10 overs.
Overton triggered the collapse when he had goalkeeper Ben Foakes tackle Campbell by the side of the leg, before he was the receiver on Gully as Brathwaite cut off a fastball from Wood.
Stokes then took the third wicket: Shamarh Brooks (18) snuck through Root in the slip after playing away from his body, and when Woakes represented Blackwood, the West Indies were down four and 184 runs behind, only for Bonner. and Holder to remedy the situation.
England were in the mire when Bairstow went out 48-4 on day one, but the Yorkshireman revived his side with his eighth Test ton and second in as many matches, during which he shared half-century brackets with Stokes (36), Foakes (42) and Woakes (28).
Bairstow was the last man to resume day two at 109: Holder with the excellent spinning catch at the point back midway through the 101 to dismiss a player he had left on his own bowling at 126 earlier in the session.
Holder (2-24 of 21 overs) was the most economical of the West Indies bowlers, but Jayden Seales (4-79 of 22) was the most prolific, taking out Woakes and Overton (0) with fine short balls in the 93 to add to their firings since day one of Stokes and Zak Crawley
Kemar Roach (2-86 for 21) and Alzarri Joseph (2-70 for 20.3) were the other Windies bowlers to hit – Joseph’s two wickets came on day two as he had Wood (1) trapped in the jerk and then finished with Bairstow. great entrees about 55 minutes before the lunch break.
England fast bowler Mark Wood, speaking to BT Sport: “I think the way we held ourselves and our attitude on the pitch was really good.
“We found with purpose and intensity, so I was very pleased about that, but I think we could have started better. We have to try and get a couple of early wickets to really get into this West Indies line-up.
“The way that Bonner and Holder took care of that, they played really well and negated that period of reverse change where we were looking to take a couple of wickets. Now we have to go deep again and start over.”
West Indies and England will resume the first Test at 2pm UK time on Thursday. Follow the text commentary one after another from 1:30pm on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.
